The bailout and nationalization of GM and Chrysler, masterminded by U.S. Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush continues to show signs of success. (Source: Mandel Ngan / AFP/Getty Images.)

GM and Chrysler each announced plans to hire 1,000 new engineers. GM's one thousand new employees will all work in Michigan, as will most of Chrysler's. (Source: GM)

Signs of automakers' recovery continue

General
Motors Company is now majority owned by public investors, with the
government's stake reduced from 61 percent to 26 percent thanks to a
$23.1B USD initial public offering of stock. The government's
stake is currently being further reduced by sales of stock to banks
and investment firms. It now looks possible that the taxpayers
will be fully repaid their bailout "investment". And
GM has been profitable
since the start of the year.

While Chrysler Group LLC is
unlikely to fully repay the money the government poured into it
during bankruptcy and is still not profitable, it also has a bit of
success to report. It has cut its losses and its sales are
currently on the rise.

Both companies announced good news on
Tuesday. GM announced that it would be creating 1,000 new
high-tech engineering and research jobs in Michigan over the next two
years. The new hires will work on designing new EVs and hybrids
for GM.

Meanwhile, Chrysler is boosting its work
force by 1,000 technical professionals, as well. Some of its
new hires will come overseas, but most will work in Auburn Hills,
Michigan at its headquarters and technical center. Chrysler is
recruiting at 35 college campuses and is asking for resumes. It
hopes to have its new hiring complete by April of next year.
The smaller automaker was less specific about the roles of the new
hires, though presumably many of them would be designing hybrids and
EVs as well.

While Chrysler's plans for EVs have become
vaporous of late, GM is prepared to lead America's mass market auto
industry into the realm of full electrification. The company
will be delivering its brand-new 2011 Chevy Volt EV to showrooms and
customers who pre-ordered within a week or two.

The company will begin mass
sales of the vehicle next year, with plans to ship 10,000 to 15,000
Volts. In 2012 it tentatively plans to boost
production to 60,000 units. The company is also hoping to
bring a crossover-SUV electric vehicle to market sometime in the next
several years. That vehicle will likely be based on the Chevy
Volt MPV5 concept, unveiled earlier this year.

GM has
invested $700M USD in Michigan to produce the Volt's battery pack,
powertrain, and body, revamping and reopening several production
facilities. In the process it has created a number of
manufacturing jobs, aiding Michigan's desperately struggling
economy.

"Well, there may be a reason why they call them 'Mac' trucks! Windows machines will not be trucks." -- Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer